Dirt on my hands and knees
by eternalshiva
Summary: The truth behind a Kunoichi's true purpose was no secret to Ino. Honing and perfecting these skills, she was Konoha's best but it came with a price – her heart. Unfortunately, everything she trained for was about to crumble, no thanks to Kiba. LEMON
1. Prologue: How she came to be

**Dirt on my hands and knees**_  
By eternalshiva_

_Disclaimer –_  
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by Perpetual159.

**AN** – Oh dear, what am I doing here? This started as a one shot PORN but developed into like ... two - three chapters! I just can't write one shot porn without the characters actually having some kind of story XD KibaIno wut?! Yeah, I know... the pairing intrigues me.

Wow wtf, my story disapeared - I got no notice in e-mail saying I broke some laws so I'm not sure what happened? Here's the re-upload. Sorry ._. I lost all the reviews too T_T

And Kiba's so damned SEXY.

**BN** – I'd like to thank eternalshiva for sticking with me through all of the crap that's plagued me in recent months; and _yes_, I have had this story in my possession for two months. It's a wonder she didn't just give up on me and tell me to go %*$& myself... o.O I'll admit this pairing was a new and fun couple for me to beta. Enjoy!!! XD

Thank you, _**Jolly Green**_ and _**perpetual159**_, for the beta. I appreciate it very much.

* * *

**Prologue**  
How she came to be

"_Watching you is the only drug I need. Some gangster, I'm so in love.  
You're the only one I'm dreaming of, you see..."_  
– _Trains' Hey, Soul Sister_

There are several reasons why someone consciously decides to bury themselves under a layer of lies; why one fumbles about in the dark, scrapping the skin raw while crawling towards the uncertain future; why they favoured the sharp sting of words to shield their heart from the outside world.

There's a reason why one such person smiles against suffocating adversity; why they would need to hit so god damned hard in the midst of battle that the snap of bones is a relief they crave to hear. But... _she_ would never tell anyone; she would never bore you with her inner dislikes and negativity or her warped view of the world. Instead, she would distract the inquisitive mind with the latest gossip, a few tips on hair and makeup and would even suggest what flowers you need to bring home so that your wife would forget all about your indiscretions.

It was her small insignificant secret that she carefully kept bound close to her heart. As far as she was concerned, no one had to know how easy it was to slip past her emotional defences; it was honestly no one's business what she chose to do with her free time or how she chose to bestow her affections. No one _needed_ to know why, for several pointless years, she chose to chase a futile, hopeless love since the age of six.

She never had any intentions to _be_ in love in the first place.

Ino was outwardly shallow and simple, a front she preferred and perfected. She thrived on her careful miscued reputation over the years, although it reflected nothing on her true self. She relished at the feel of her inner demons crawling and hissing at those that believed her catty smiles and come hither looks.

Not one to deny the pleasure of others, she would only smile, flip her hair teasingly when she would hear the rumours spill from strangers lips; she'd flash a dazzling smile when the snide remarks on her accomplishments as an expert in the arts of sex from the civilian women of the village, unconcerned.

"_Anything to get the mission done,_" would be her answer, she'd smirk at the force their mouths would snap shut, and their accusing glares would soften. They had no right to judge a woman who had willingly given up the right to reserve her body for a lover. The hurtful prying assumptions and questions would dissipate in the afterglow of another celebratory survival dance; her team had come back, alive and well.

Heroes in their losses, as long as they always came home.

Ino comforted herself with the knowledge and pride that she was _far_ from what they assumed. The truth was far darker, always on the brink of spiralling out of her tight control. She was not a happy, bubbly person – like she portrayed - she was pensive, layered beyond what most women would peg as complicated. She was an enigma, even to Shikamaru. He'd decided a long time ago that she was better left alone, not to be unravelled.

It's not that she didn't _want _to experience love; in fact, she craved it like any other living, breathing human. Her eyes had been opened at an early age, when her mother explained to her in detail, at the tender age of twelve, what it really meant to be kunoichi and how the rest of her life would pan out. Her dreams and girlish endeavours of being a wife, a virginal goddess to descend upon her husband on her wedding night had been shattered that afternoon. Her tears mourned a lost childhood and welcomed reality on her mother's bosom; she was never quite the same after that revelation.

Before the age of twenty, she had taken care of her attachment and ideals connected to the hymen. All on her own, mind you, thanks to tips obtained forcibly from whores – which she had mind-scanned for evidence- and the awkward use of a dildo. She had also withdrawn herself from the emotional connection of sex and grown accustom to men stretching her most intimate parts.

Her team noticed her onset of odd and distant behaviour; Shikamaru knew exactly what she was up too while Chouji pretended that she was _'just being a girl'_. It was unsaid, understood what Ino had done to overcome the fear of rape and release her team from the feminine burden and the possible complications it could add to missions.

It was always stressed by Tsunade that, a kunoichi needed to return home in one piece, her heart whole and her mind never broken by the violence of sex. Her words had etched themselves inside Ino's heart, safety in the knowledge that she would never lose herself.

To ignore the power and fear instilled by sexuality was idiotic. From what she had seen, there was never anything pleasant in the act, all she knew was the pain of sex from what she recited for reports on behalf of women who couldn't face reality and murdered their souls by closing their minds to the world. She only saw the sadistic side of dead men who were murdered by husbands, brothers or fathers who protected their loved ones.

It didn't help either that her one experience in love had been a complete disappointment - it had left her with more questions than answers. The truth of it had escaped her small uncertain grasp in a whirlwind of drama and indifference, much like the object of her affections. She discovered, almost too late, that she wasn't really interested in what Sasuke had to offer. The Uchiha had been a perfect target, now that she thought about it. Always sure of rejection, always unattainable no matter what she tried. The perfect cover, if she dared add, for her lack of interest in a serious love affair.

To say she was innocent or inexperienced in the works of sex would a bold faced lie. Ino was a walking encyclopaedia on the subject; she spent many years studying brothels, specifically the interactions between man and woman for the sole purpose of being _good_ at her job.

Sure, she would never deny that she used sex to get what wanted from men, sometimes women, for a mission. Only if it required the specific skill and even then, she would use her possession jutsu to avoid having the activity. In reality, she was clueless on the pleasures.

She found sex uncomfortable, _boring_ even.

She was curious, for sure, to know what it was exactly that made her friends blush, speak in strange tongues when they spoke about their love affairs. She wondered if someday she would honestly know what it was like to gush about their mates, screwing the hell out of them, and still want to see them the next day without the need of a chemical peel to get the sweat and stench off her.

She concluded a long time ago that matters of the heart were messy and _troublesome_ to her line of work. She avoided it and she was fine with that decision. Maybe her experience was warping her opinion?

She was the only kunoichi from her little group to actively take the missions that required these types of activities. The Hokage certainly wasn't going to let his wife do them; Hinata would die first if she had to spread her legs for anyone besides Naruto.

Sakura was too busy at the hospital to take them on. She was dedicated to her work, honing her healing skills, plus she had no one in her life since Sasuke had died. Lee was still trying, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to open up, her smile always sad, but, like a disease, he lingered about and she was starting to smile for real.

Tenten was too rough; there was nothing feminine about the weapons mistress that would allow her to take these missions. Neji would most likely maim Naruto if he even suggested that kind of mission to her.

Ino, on the other hand, had the looks, the sass, the misplaced dysfunctional heart and the lack of a love life. She was beyond perfect, unfortunately.

Too bad it was all about to crumble, no thanks to a meddling Kiba.

* * *

TBC – R & R


	2. Chapter 1: Out of the Shadows

**Dirt on my hands and knees**  
_By eternalshiva_

_Disclaimer –_  
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by Perpetual159.

**AN** – And here we go! Chapter one is fairly short, the other ones will be longer (between 7,000 to 9,000 words) It was just better if there was a prologue and kept them separated for flow purposes.

And Kiba's so damned SEXY.

Thank you, _**Jolly Green **_and _**perpetual159**_, for the beta. I appreciate it very much.

* * *

**Chapter ****One**  
Out of the shadows

"_Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains  
I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind."_  
– _Trains' Hey, Soul Sister_

She sighed, crinkled her nose as she repressed the urge to sneeze. The dust danced in Naruto's office as he shoved heaps of documents aside from his desk, muttering under his breath something about being careful with what you wish for. She raised a brow, smirked openly as he dropped scrolls, shuffled papers and grew steadily frustrated.

"Gah!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands in the air, giving up.

"Maybe it's time you cleaned up your office?" It wasn't really a question, more of a statement that was met with a glare, but Ino missed it, busy staring at the dirt under her nails. Her mission had been long and exhausting, her aching muscles craved the comfort of her bed and her skin was screaming for a hot soak in the tub.

"What are we waiting for, exactly?" She was suffocating in the moist heat of the office.

"We're waiting for Kiba." Naruto answered her off-handed, distracted by a document he found stuffed inside a discarded envelope. He let out a small choked, angered sigh and stuffed the letter in his pocket, muttering curses to befall on his assistant, Konohamaru.

It took everything in her not to press her palms against her face and rub hard, muffle a groan that threatened to make itself known. That's the last person she wanted to see. Kiba always made her feel strange things, anger being the more predominant one. He'd always manage to push her buttons, grinning while she raged and sputtered insults at him like fire licking up dry wood. His bored expression was dangerous, in her opinion – it usually meant he was eager for trouble – and generally tried to avoid him when he was idle between missions when she was younger.

"Why are we waiting for him, Hokage-sama?" she asked a little too sweetly, forcing Naruto to turn and look at her. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he quickly shrugged and returned to his hunt. It was hard to manipulate information out of your boss when he specifically hired you for those skills. He was always instantly suspicious of anything nice that would come from the blonde woman.

"While you were busy getting information," he disappeared under another pile of documents, his voice muffled slightly "he was doing the infiltration of the compound...where did that damned scroll go!" he trailed off, muttering again. "So, you two need to be here for reports and declaration that the mission was completed successfully." He suddenly straightened, yelled a "ah ha!" and startled the kunoichi out of her dazed sleepy stupor.

She frowned at him; she hadn't sensed Kiba there at all. In fact, Naruto had entirely not mentioned Inuzuka's participation in this mission. Typical... well she wasn't really surprised. Kiba was one of the elite ANBU, specifically one of the best infiltrators and trackers Konohagakure had seen in generations. He probably knew where she had been the whole time she seduced her way through the ranks of the corrupted officials.

"I really need to clean this shit up." He sighed, exasperated, before he sat down at his seat once more but this time he had no intentions of getting up.

"What _is_ that?" Ino asked, trying to peek at the scroll while he unrolled it, he glanced up at her and flicked the right corner up, pressing his lips together, scowling in defiance to her spying skills. She rolled her eyes when he clung possessively to the paper like a bowl of ramen and shot her a _mind-your-own-damned-business_ glare. She leaned back against the large chair and made herself comfortable, Naruto would soon forget she was here while he did his paper work; it was always the same thing.

Ino decided to take advantage of her boss's greediness and closed her eyes. If he wasn't going to allow her to take her leave and force her to wait here for the mutt, she may as well take a little nap. She let out an irritated sigh; listened to the temperamental scratching of the Hokage's pen, the flutter of papers being flipped and felt herself relax, drift off into a welcomed semi-sleep.

"Yamanaka?"

The gruff voice interrupted the dull sway of sleep and she groggily opened her eyes, her body felt like dead weight. She could feel something wet on her hand and she blinked harder before sitting up. Trying to gather her bearings, she quickly realized that it was dark outside, meaning she'd slept far longer than anticipated, Naruto was buried under a larger pile of documents and Kiba was inside her personal space.

"Sleeping on the job?" he mused. She imagined he had that god-awful grin that made her want to wipe it off his face with her fist. She snorted lightly and straightened out, shooing away Akamaru who was still licking her fingers in greeting. It didn't take long for her to notice the _stench_. Her graceful features contorted into something ugly, she quickly covered her nose with both hands and let out a long sigh of disgust.

Akamaru tilted his head, watching the girl. She could have sworn its beady little eyes were accusing her of not smelling like roses herself. She shook her head, why would a dog be accusing her of anything. She was clearly losing it. She did, however, note that the normal white shinny coat of the animal was a dulled grey, matted and various items clung to him. Pressing her lips together, she nearly recoiled from the panting emanating from the dog - it was moist and sticking heavier than the hot air on the summer night.

It was nauseating.

"Ugh, what the hell were you doing?" she muttered at first, but the smell was crawling up inside her nose, sticking to the brain and it was making her irritable, "How did you infiltrate anything reeking like skunks?" her turquoise eyes glinted dangerously when her eyes caught up with the other shinobi in the room.

This is when she realised she hadn't seen Kiba in a _very_ long time.

The first thing she noticed about the man was his height, she tried to recall when exactly the last time she'd seen him was, he hadn't been promoted to ANBU yet and he certainly hadn't been _that_ tall. It wasn't a secret that the rank forced the elite shinobi to virtually disappear, always hidden in the shadows.

She blinked quickly, clearing the stickiness of sleep from her mind. He reached up to his face and started to pull off the mask from his face, the muscles in his arm flexed and glistened from lingering sweat that clung to him. She raised a brow.

"Should you be doing that? I thought ANBU weren't allowed to reveal their identity...?" She eyed Naruto, to see what he would have to say. Naruto merely shrugged and continued working. A soft laughter brought her attention away from the Hokage. The stink seemed to have disappeared suddenly and replaced with something that made her insides quiver... what was that?

"While you were off in Lala land," he pushed the mask up, resting it on his unruly brown hair, "Naruto said I was off duty." He smiled at her; there was something secret about that little grin he was giving her. It took everything in her to get up and seek out that smell that was making her brain slowly turn into mush.

It smelled of trees, wilderness and something utterly masculine.

"How long has it been, Kiba?" she managed to find her voice after clearing her throat lightly under her breath. Was it her imagination? She could of sworn he was looking a little too closely. "I mean... since we've seen each other?"

"Ah, face to face? A while, I think... maybe three or four years." He scratched behind his right ear with his index finger while he tried to remember exactly.

Face to face? What did _that_ mean? She was a little confused but decided to ignore the off-hand comment.

"Has it really been that long?" She was surprised, he seemed rather amused and let out a rough bark of laughter that snapped her attention solely on him. The sound was pleasant, a humming vibration that rang through her pleasantly. He shook his head, still grinning like an idiot when she caught a glimpse of something. His canines had elongated slightly, they peeked out from under his chapped lips. Her gaze caught the subtle film of dirt on the skin of his exposed arms, her eyes lingered on the intricate ANBU tattoo.

"You're dirty," she said without thinking. Kiba raised a brow and smiled again, stunning her momentarily. When had he gotten so damned charming?

"Well, it happens sometimes when you're fighting your way through the mess a certain kunoichi leaves behind." She felt her face heat up; was that a _blush_? She had forgotten momentarily that Kiba had been sent to the same mission.

She blew air out of her cheeks, irritated that he insinuated she hadn't done her mission correctly. She had all intentions of giving him a piece of her mind but her angry tirade died on her lips, her brain buzzed oddly when she caught the scent once more as he approached her. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead, sat down next to her and she finally clued in that it was _him_.

_He_ was the source of the arousing scent.

It took every inch of her dignity to stop herself when she noticed a drop of sweat roll down from the underneath his un-kept sideburns, past his temples and cheeks, all the way down his throat snuck beneath his plated armour.

Suddenly she wanted to lick it.

She blinked. '_Whoa... get a grip, Yamanaka!'_ she told herself.

She forced herself to look away, focusing on Naruto that had begun to speak but his words couldn't come through since the sound of her blood rushing in her ears muffled his high pitched irritable voice. She felt very unsteady, unsettled at the heat building inside the pit of her stomach.

Something strange was going on, she decided. The world had slowed... or something. She couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly but she was acutely aware of Kiba: his breathing, the way he sucked air through his teeth, the way he swallowed and the sound it made. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye; he stretched and sighed, getting comfortable as Naruto babbled.

She didn't dare look at him, she didn't know if she was suffering some kind of sickness.

This was _Kiba_. He wasn't supposed to be intriguing or sexy. Dangerous and unpredictable, yes, but not what she was feeling... what was she feeling exactly? She hated Kiba for making everything so mucky and so damned...

"Ino?" Naruto was looking at her expectantly. Her attention was rudely snapped away from the man exuding distraction and she blushed, confused at what the Hokage was still doing there.

"Huh?"

Was Kiba snickering? She felt dazed.

"Your report...?"

She could feel Inuzuka's eyes on her, the strange triangular pupil watching her and she shivered despite the warmth and the sweat on her body.

"Oh. Right." She took a deep breath and ignored Naruto's inquisitive stare, she relayed her report, felt slightly embarrassed at her accountability of her activities. Kiba was well aware that she was that kind of kunoichi, why was she suddenly self-conscious of her choices?

She'd train for years for these missions - she was past all this... wasn't she?

She held a groan in check before Naruto nodded, dismissing them after signing off on the reports. Ino rose from her seat, glanced over to Kiba, who had his chin casually leaned into his palm. He was staring at her. She narrowed her eyes, unsure to what his silence meant.

"See you around, Inuzuka." She gave the shinobi a light curtsy before taking her leave. He didn't say anything which unnerved her but decided he was back to being an asshole, which suited her just fine.

* * *

Kiba watched her disappear out of line of sight, his eyes trailed after her, squinting in wonder. Throughout the years Ino had changed herself, warped her true personality under this bold faced lie he could see right through. She did it for a good reason, she did all the things she did for the sake of her own mental health and that of her team. But still... she was a woman who had given up on ever experiencing love or even keeping one for her own.

He noticed her warmth wither away when they were about fifteen. It was hard to miss, there was always the smell of cheap cologne clinging to her, and the scent of men always pierced his senses, hiding the delicateness of Ino. She had piqued his curiosity around the age of sixteen when she survived a mission that tested that resolve and training. Her team had taken it harder than her but she had remained strong.

'_I'm fine, really__. I've trained for this. Trust me, I'm ok,'_ she had said to everyone who dared asked, always smiling, but her scent told him something different. She smelled of a strong soap disinfectant, her bandages around her thighs had lengthened and she stopped wearing the short skirt as her ninja garb.

He'd caught her crying once, a few days later. Her tearful mourn under the moonlight had made his own heart ache and he'd promised himself he'd do anything in his power to always make her feel true emotion: her smiles always real, her anger always hot and maybe someday she'd forget the tears.

For years, he always made sure he was in her face; always around her no matter if it was rain or shine. He could pick her out of a crowd, her scent imprinted on his brain like a second identity - he could track her down even if she was in a different dimension. Someday he would pull her back; she was teetering on the edge of abandoning her humanity for the sake of survival and success.

His heart broke for her, every mission she used her body, every time things went wrong and she suffered another blow he ached to comfort her but she never once asked for help; never cried that one time and he knew she wanted too. He did what he could – pissed her off, made her laugh, acted stupid to take her mind off her injuries. She didn't know it but he always made sure that Akamaru would let himself be domesticated when she would stare off into nothing, be at her feet and let her pet him to comfort her aches.

When he reached the age of twenty, Naruto dropped the bomb that he was to be promoted as ANBU. To say he was excited was a mistake; his vigilant watch over Ino was going to be done for if he didn't do something. He did the only thing he could think of at the time: refused. Naruto had nearly fallen out of his seat..

Naturally suspicious, the Hokage pestered him mercilessly, wouldn't take "No! Just leave me alone!" as an answer. He even used Kiba's one weakness, Hinata, to pry the truth out of him. She was hard to resist once she had her mind made up, worst than the idiot, but her _tearful_ understanding had her on Kiba's side when it came to his request.

Naruto couldn't ignore his wife's logic in the matters of the heart; she knew his weaknesses like the back of her hand and to Kiba's glee, used every single one of them to wear him down. Still, it had taken several months to convince both Naruto and Kiba to come to an acceptable agreement on their negotiations.

By Kiba's twenty-first birthday, he was finally promoted to ANBU and had extracted the promise from Naruto that he would be permanently assigned as Ino's shadow on her solo missions. No matter what mission he was assigned, no matter how far he was, if Ino was going solo, he'd get pulled back in to shadow. That was the deal.

Four years later, Naruto had stupidly revealed that he had been shadowing her without even blinking... worst part being she was _waiting_ in the office while he reported every nitty-gritty details of what he observed, what had happened and who he had to kill to ensure the success of the mission and that her efforts weren't in vain.

Now, alone in the office with Naruto, he leaned back against the seat and sighed, exhausted.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Naruto's voice was muffled but he hadn't bothered to look up from his documents.

Good question.

"Not for too much longer, now that she knows I followed her." He glared at his boss, a small quirk of the blonde brow was the only indication that Naruto felt a little bit guilty at his slip of the tongue.

"Well, can't live your entire life in the shadows; you could learn a thing or two from Hinata."

It took everything in Kiba to not fall out of his chair.

"That's pretty funny, coming from you." Kiba let a soft snort out, shaking his head. Naruto grinned.

"I'm serious about your time off," Naruto had a rare serious look on his face, "make something happen. At least make her aware of what you've been doing." He looked up at the clock and sighed, "Hinata's going to kill me..."

"I'll get out of your hair, then." Kiba grinned and disappeared in a puff of smoke, he had something to take care of before Ino reached her home.

* * *

The night air slithered against her skin, cooling her over heated skin from the office. Her mind still buzzed with thoughts of Kiba and her sudden realisation that he was no longer the annoying brat she remembered; he was in fact a man bleeding confidence, oozed sex appeal and she felt herself being pulled along some unknown wave.

There was also something strangely comforting about him, his presence...

"You know..." Ino stopped dead in her tracks, the voice was close – so close she could feel the breath bellow on her neck and crawl inside her ear. "I've missed our little arguments." She stiffened, recognizing her comrade but she could help how her heart nearly spill from the tip of her lips.

How had Kiba snuck up on her like that?

"You have?" She was surprised at how calm her voice seemed. She heard him laugh quietly, his body heat seeped through her clothes from behind. She heard him shift his weight and step closer and she could have sworn he took in a deeper breath... taking in her scent.

She felt strange again, her heart made a strange loop she didn't recognize.

"Yeah, it was the highlight of my day." His voice dropped an octave and became strangely intimate; she felt something in her pony tail and frowned slightly, confused.

There, again, the sound of his breath going in slowly, taking her scent without her consent. She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes, angered he'd managed to get so close.

"I-I have a hard time believing that." A stutter? Since when does she stutter around men? Another chuckle, his breath tickling the nape of her exposed skin.

"Well, you'd have a hard time believing anything I'd have to say," he whispered huskily - was that his lips against her ear? Uncertainty gripped her with sudden fierceness, she was too aware of him.

"How did you do that?" she whispered unsteadily, her eyes wide in wonder.

"Do what?" He was either playing with her or, he genuinely had no idea. She stepped away, keeping her eyes on his shadowed form and turned towards him, crossing her arms against her breasts.

"Sneak up on me, I didn't sense you at all." She pressed her lips together, annoyed. He snickered and stepped towards her again, his fingers stretched out towards her. He didn't touch her, he could read from her body language that she was put off by his forward behaviour. He'd confused her.

"I've had lots of practice," he stated without pause.

"Practice?"

"Yeah, practice," his eyes flashed dangerously in the moonlight, she could see the tips of his canines against his lips. This time she could feel his energy sparking, taking over, his eyes heated her skin.

"I'm always there on your solo missions." His voice cut through the darkness like a beacon of light. Something about the way his voice hung on to every word made her wonder about its intention. They felt safe... comforting. Never the less, she was still taken by surprise and hot irritation drowned out the confusion of her emotions.

"What do you mean 'always there'?" Her eyes narrowed and her tone had taken a dangerous warning he didn't miss. He dropped his hand to his side, nervousness weighed like led inside his stomach.

"Well..." how could he make this sound reasonable? "No one is really alone on missions, even solo ones. There's always a back-up." He fidgeted; he could feel the glare, teetering on the edge of bursting into a tirade.

"A back up?" she was getting pissed, he could sense it. Maybe it was the way her fingers made a cracking noise as they fisted, or the way her teeth gritted... but it was definitely the yelling that tipped him off.

"Why would I need a back up?" she seethed, "Does Naruto not believe that I can handle these ass holes myself?" she was raging, boiling with insult at the lack of trust her boss had in her. Wasn't he always the one to drawl on about respect, trust and believing in your comrades? Oh he was going to get a piece of her mind the second she marched back there and gave him shit!

Open mouth, insert foot.

Kiba groaned loudly, which stopped Ino's mental beat down of the Hokage.

He had to think fast, this was falling apart at the seam. He wasn't looking for a fight, he just wanted to talk to her... he'd been silent for far too long in her presence.

"Ah... it's not that at all, Ino." He sighed, she looked away from him, her arms still crossed in rebellion, "I mean, in all the years I've been on missions to shadow kunoichi, I've never had to come in and rescue the dame in distress when it was you." He smiled but she couldn't see it in the darkness.

"Your skill is impeccable, top notch as always, and that's why you get all the near impossible missions." He could see her questioning glare, the way her lips pressed together and the knitted brow that wanted to call him on his bullshit.

He sighed, again.

"I'm just there in case things get too rough and you get in a pinch I _know_ you can't get out of." She saw his shoulders droop, he seemed really dejected. Ino frowned, she was over reacting a little, she knew that Naruto didn't mean to insult her... but still, why had she never noticed before?

"How come we met today, if you're supposed to be my shadow?" she kicked her toe into the dirt, her eyes focused on nothing but the unseen dirt before her. Kiba felt her anger recede and he was relieved, for a few minutes.

"You weren't supposed to see me, at all, for the reports. Well, under normal circumstances that is." He looked up towards the sky, trying to put together a little white lie that would save his skin and keep Naruto's little world from imploding with Ino's wrath.

"Because of the high ranking officials you had to deal with," he let his gaze fall from the stars and linger on her a moment, before looking down at her feet, "and since the mission took several months, Naruto wanted to make the debriefing as short as possible." Her toes stopped burrowing the ground, her hands fell to her hips while considering what he said to be truth or lie.

"Writing two reports would have been lengthy, and he's a lazy bastard." Dear god, he hoped this one little time she wouldn't interrogate him and pushed his buttons, he wouldn't be able to tell her any more without feeling guilty.

She let out a strange snort but said nothing, letting her silence speak for itself.

"Hmm." Always quick to mistrust, her uncertainty was thick and it vibrated through him like an accusation. "Well... if you say so, Kiba." She didn't believe him for a minute, and they both knew it. Kiba shifted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact, even though she couldn't see him in the thickness of the night.

Ino narrowed her eyes. What else was the dog-ninja hiding from her? Curiosity was winning over her irritation.

"So," she perked up, trying to ignore her urge to nit-pick and dig the truth out of him. Kiba was unusually subdued for her taste, "since it seems you know what I've been up too," she couldn't help the small smile on her face when she heard him groan, "come with me for a drink." She put out her hand towards him.

She didn't want her bath anymore, her bed could wait. Kiba had captured her in a fleeting moment of curiosity that needed to be satiated and she had to figure what exactly was making her weak in the knees. She was not one to be controlled by the emotions of sex or man.

Kiba was a strange enigma, she decided. He was a bit taken a back when she smiled at him. He raised both brows in surprise, suddenly sceptical and wary of her interest in him.

"A drink?" he offered her his arm, she wrapped her dainty fingers around his elbows, glad he couldn't see the weird tint of pink on her cheeks as she felt his muscles move under her touch.

"Yes, a drink to celebrate a successful mission, our survival and a chance for me to see what you've been up too, Kiba-_kun_."

Ever get that feeling you're walking into a trap?

He had that feeling, screaming with alarm bells, but she was smiling. Her voice chimed in his ears like a siren and he felt drugged. He should have known better the second she used such an endearing term attached to his name, but he couldn't resist Ino and tagged along for the ride.

"Where would you like to go?" he grinned, she glanced his way and smiled, a real one that she rarely showed to anyone but those in her close circle.

"Anywhere," she sighed out the words, he put his hand on top of her while she gripped his bicep; her gaze lingered on his thick fingers. The rough surface of them was familiar. The dark contrast compared to her own skin was fascinating to her. She caught another brief taste of his scent that made her blink.

She felt the warmth of his bare skin against her own seep through, and suddenly, without real idea why, she didn't want to let him go.

* * * * * * * *

TBC – R&R


	3. Chapter 2: Into the Fire

**Dirt on my hands and knees**  
_By eternalshiva_

_Disclaimer –_  
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by _Perpetual159_.

**AN** – Here's chapter two of insert amount! Oh ho ho! This is pretty Ino centric so far but I hope to change that in the next two chapters. Oh, and this fic is getting a little bit more development then just porn. See if you catch my little joke in there, you will get a cookie.

Thank you, _Jolly Green_ and _Perpetual159_, for the beta. I appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter Two**  
Into the Fire

"_Your sweet moving, the smell of you in every single dream I dream  
I knew when we collided; you're the one I have decided, who's one of my kind."__  
- Trains' Hey, Soul Sister_

_

* * *

  
_

Ino's tongue slipped groggily across her teeth. They felt oddly fuzzy from her alcohol abuse. She smacked her lips loudly to test the parched feeling of her mouth and groaned. Her head had a dull throbbing ache that reminded her why she didn't drink to excess on a regular basis.

Ino cracked one eye open, realising far too slowly that she had left the blinds open the previous night. She was greeted by the traitorous sun, showering bright beams of unwanted light in her face. She rolled over, pulling the blankets over her head and burrowed herself deeper into the mattress.

She smiled. Despite the unpleasant start to her morning, Kiba hadn't changed much. He was still the same old goofy – oddly reliable and annoying, but always fun – guy she had met all those years ago. He was still willing to take on her challenges like an idiot and last night was no different. She giggled at the memory of his little sonnet – a theme song for the evening, or so he had said.

'_Tequila, tequila_  
_Come into my belly -  
Tequila, tequila  
My lover you'll be.'_

The sharp clinks of their shot glasses had set the precedence of the night. The sour taste of lemon and salt still lingered in her mouth. She hadn't even questioned the odd spark when her fingers had brushed against his accidently every once in a while.

She could still see him, glancing over his glass, at first wondering what it was that had him so fascinated, and eventually realising it was _her_ he had been so focused on. There had been something about the way he eyed her, demanding she didn't know what of her, but... she had decided it was best left alone, blaming their heavy alcohol consumption for making her see things.

Consequently, she remembered deciding not to overanalyze his unusual attention, opting instead to drag him from bar to bar while urging him to follow without question.

To her delight, he had – and very willingly, she might add.

She had spent the night clinging to his arm like some fancy damsel. He had indulged her selfishness with a strange accent while opening doors, screwing caps off bottles, calling himself a '_gentleman_', and adjusting some invisible monocle as he accepted her gratitude.

As the night drove on, they had both failed to notice how she was whispering too close to his ears, instigating a strange electrifying sensation between the man and woman they pretended not to be. She didn't know it right then, but she had had the urge to make sure he heard only her, despite the noise around them.

She hadn't told him about the goose bumps that had crawled across her skin when he had put his large hand on the small of her back. He had kept her close when she moved in to tell him about the intricacies of eating the Tequila Worm and its adverse effects on the psyche, and this had only intrigued him into wanting to try it. Her heart had made a strange pitter-patter while his breath tickled the nape of her neck when he told her about his sudden urge to taste it.

For a split second she had thought he meant to taste _her_, almost bursting out laughing when she realised he had meant the booze soaked worm. In a sheepish and _girlish_ reaction to his proximity and her misunderstanding, she had blushed. He thankfully hadn't notice; her cheeks had already been tinged pink from their atrocious drinking.

She was shocked to discover she hadn't had the urge to object the invasion of personal space when he had pulled her in between his legs. His goal was to infiltrate the _Ino Barricade_, intimately whispering his answers to her very personal queries.

It had worked.

She bit her lower lip, abusing it while the events of the evening continued to dribble in at a slow and delicious pace. She sighed as her finger reached up and touched her ear lobe, wondering why the skin still burned after his nose had brushed against it while whispering. She couldn't quite figure out why the deep timbre of his voice had made her quiver so strangely.

Ino groaned. Feeling more than just dazed, she realised she was confused.

She remembered pushing his arms aside at one point to sit on his lap, complaining loudly that there were no bar stools left for her to sit on. The grin he had flashed in response had captivated her. The sharp canines caught the dim light and she didn't hide her heated gaze, letting it linger on his mouth. She had watched his lips move in slow patterns as he drank or spoke, and she had caught herself dallying in a fantasy - wondering what the feel of his canines would be like if they were dragged skilfully against her collar bone.

The sudden intrusion of the image of their sweat drenched bodies under the covers had nearly made her choke on her drink. She had shaken herself from the thought, blinking rapidly, reminding herself that this was Kiba and not a... _what_ was the word?

'_We look like lovers, if you sit on my lap like that.' _

Ah yes, _lovers_. That was the word. She recalled how one arm had gone around her waist to keep her steady on his thigh; how she had leaned her back against his chest using his shoulder as her pillow. She had closed her eyes shamelessly, relishing the feel of his strength against her back - the muscles flexed and rolled as he spoke and the vibrations of his laughter shaking her into a comfortable lull.

_'Wouldn't want to upset your oodles of girls,_' she had slurred out jokingly, ignoring the distractions of his body, _'or boys_.' She hadn't known which one he preferred, so she decided to have all her bases covered.

He had snorted out an _"I'm a woman-only kind of guy,"_ to her satisfaction before taking down another shot.

She had felt his hand squeeze her hip and this _too-serious_ look came over his face. She eyed him; a smirk had escaped her lips when he touched her chin to make her look at him directly.

_'I don't have casual lovers.' _His assurance had been clear above the crowd and she had felt relieved for some inexplicable reason. _"Like you, Ino, I don't bother correcting people when they assume things." _She laughed just then_. _

_'Oh? You don't, do you?'_

_'No. Plus I'm too busy to even think about that shit,_' he had taken another shot, the tequila heating his belly. He grinned at her, _'I got my eyes on someone, anyway.' _She had missed the heated look, too busy flagging down the bartender at the time. She didn't broach the subject again for the rest of the night, but his words still burned her mind.

'_Look like lovers, huh?'_ She had murmured the question to herself. Fortunately, it had been drowned out by the loud and thirsty demands of the club.

'_Don't pass out!' _he'd teased and handed her another drink_. _Things got really blurry from there; she could clearly recall various bits and pieces of the passing night. Although, after she got home... well she couldn't quite put all of those pieces together.

She did remember, however, how some lower rank shinobi had ruined her good mood with questions on her well defined reputation, especially with the way they had brushed aside her dignity with their disgusting invitation back to their place. She did appreciate their shocked expressions when Kiba had crawled up behind her – it had made the discomfort of dealing with those idiots worth every second.

With a heated shiver, she recalled how his body invited hers when it pressed against her ass and how his fingers had whisked her away to the dance floor. Her body had reacted on its own, pressing against him for that split second. She thought he had grinded back in retaliation, but she had chosen to ignore it. She clearly remembered how she laughed as he tried to dance, her mind already forgetting the two shinobi.

He had allowed her to touch him, her fingers licking the exposed flesh of his arms, burning a path, but he never pushed her away. He had nuzzled her when she had wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to him, clumsily dancing off beat. His hands had moved up and down her back, flesh against flesh for small fleeting moments. He had made her feel like she was the only one in the room, despite her drunken and selfish behaviour.

At one point, they had stumbled out of the last bar - last call served and forgotten. Ino had giggled and clung to Kiba all the way home, leaning against her ANBU escort, who could barely stand up on his own. She remembered coming home, Kiba still in tow. She recalled trying to get undressed for bed, his fingers helping her out of her wrappings.

'_I don't think you should do that,' _she had slurred out. Her half-lidded eyes watched him as he knelt before her; grinning while his fingers clumsily unwrapped the linen around her thighs. Each touch, every passing moment sent a strange, but powerful, quiver to the center of her dattebayo.

'_I can do whatever I want,' _he had challenged softly. She had sighed, secretly enjoying the feel of his calloused fingers against the skin of her thighs. She had steadied herself with the use of one hand on his unruly head of hair, and her fingers had flexed, grabbing a clump. He didn't say anything when she twirled it slowly between her delicate fingers, but she had noticed how he had paused in his attentions and his breathing had slowed – or so she imagined.

'_Careful,' _He had sounded strained, she had noted absent-mindedly while continuing to twirl the coarse thick hair between her delicate fingers,_ 'I can't take much more of this, Ino.' _She remembered frowning before heeding his warning and letting go_. _It was clear, the warning and the intent of his words, but again, she had chosen to ignore it. The heat on his voice had intrigued her, but she couldn't comprehend it right then. He had stood up and she still looked irritated.

'_Drop it,' _she had demanded, her gaze lingering over the well defined muscles that flexed. He raised a brow as she leaned against the wall behind her. The room was spinning and he was at the center of the chaos.

'_Drop what?' _he had scratched his ear, genuinely confused at her sudden request.

"_The genjutsu!' _She couldn't phantom why he had gone daft - her request seemed obvious.

'_Huh?' _

'_For your ANBU uniform, I can't see the damned thing.' _She had reached for him as he dropped the disguise. He hadn't had the chance to change before she dragged him out to the bars. She reached around his neck, her fingers prying at the clasps, his own fingers reached up and tried to stop hers.

'_I don't think you should do that,' _he had warned. Unfortunately, she had missed the dangerous glint in his eyes. She had leaned in further and he stiffened when her lips accidently brushed his neck, the feel of his hands gripping her wrists...

Her eyes snapped open.

_'Oh shit!_'

She sat up quickly and peeled the blankets off her body in a rush. She blinked as the sunlight played off the shimmer of her silk sleeping shirt. She had no bottoms on, but her panties were still intact. She reached up and grumbled, realising that her pony tail was undone - the tangles would be monumental and she wasn't sure her brush would be up to the task. To her relief, after further inspection, she concluded that there was no sign she'd taken him to bed.

A weight shifted next to her causing her to freeze and her eyes to widen in panic - Oh _god_! She _did_ take him to bed! What would she say? How could she explain or reason her irrational behaviour? This was completely mortifying. The weight shifted again and she held a breath, waiting for the snarky cackle of his intoxicating laugh.

Akamaru's head popped up from under the blankets and woofed softly at her. She blinked in surprise, wondering how the dog had gotten in her bed. She almost laughed – or cried, she couldn't decide exactly what she wanted to do just then besides flop back into her bed and cuddle the large smelly animal.

"Good morning, Akamaru." She grinned at the mutt, who licked her face in greeting. She petted him and frowned. She didn't remember how she got to bed or what happened after she took off the ANBU plates off Kiba.

A soft snore from the other room startled her.

She carefully stood up. A wave of nausea struggled to keep her down, but she pushed her discomfort aside and unsteadily headed towards her bedroom door.

Why was it shut?

Akamaru woofed again and disappeared under the blankets and she rolled her eyes at the lazy animal. _'Probably gets that from Kiba.'_ She wouldn't doubt it. She pulled her door open and stepped out. She didn't seen any–

Her foot caught something warm and she let out a terrible sound; a mix between a scream and a gasp. Kiba sat up suddenly, alarmed by the sudden noise and the loud thump of Ino's body hitting the cold hardwood.

"What the fuck?" he mumbled sleepily. Ino rolled over onto her back and stayed there on the floor. She took a calming deep breath before sitting up. Kiba blinked at her and scratched his head in wonder as he smacked his lips together, his mouth parched.

"What are you doing here, Ino?"

She raised a brow, pressed her index and middle finger against her temple and sighed. "You're in my house, Kiba. I should be asking you what are you doing sleeping on the floor," she pointed to her couch," when I have a perfectly good couch right there."

Kiba frowned; Akamaru strolled out of Ino's bedroom, barked once and licked his face in greeting. '_Oh, right_,' he thought as the memory came trickling in.

'_Akamaru,' _Kiba had pushed the dog into Ino's room after helping her into bed and tucking her in. He had been too drunk to think clearly and was positive he'd misread all her hints and the things she had suggested,_ 'do not let me come in here. No matter what.' _The dog had barked and nodded to his master before Kiba shut the door behind him.

He scratched his head again, gave Ino a lop-sided grin and shrugged. "Well, I guess I was too drunk to really make it to the couch." This wasn't a complete lie. He _had_ decided to sleep at her door just to be a little closer to her and make sure he wasn't tempted to stroll in there and accept her invitation, and for some reason, he had decided that the little carpet was better than her soft couch. Maybe it was the fact he'd been sleeping on hard, uncomfortable forest grounds for months, watching her.

Who knew what his reasons were? Despite the fact they were forged in drunken logic, he wasn't about to tell her any of this – she'd kill him.

It dawned on him that Ino had this strange look on her face while he had spent several silent minutes debating what he should reveal to the blonde.

"Let's go get breakfast. I feel like eating some pancakes." He perked up before she could ask more questions. He let the blanket slip down from his chest and stood up, forgetting that she had managed to strip him down to only his pants. Ino blushed, looked away and focused on Akamaru who was diligently waiting to be let out at the door.

"We... We didn't...?" she stammered. Kiba looked down and laughed as it dawned on him she recalled some of the more embarrassing things she had done.

"No, we didn't," he reassured her as he bent down and reached his hand out to her to help her up.

"Although, you did try your dandiest... it was cute." He grinned and successfully ducked a petite, deadly fist.

* * *

"I'll catch you later, Ino."

She waved him off as he turned to walk out into the crowd of the market with Akamaru in tow. She was distracted momentarily by the dog's wagging tail and the loud excited bark as he greeted some kunoichi that called out to the dog ninja. Ino pressed her lips together. She felt a strange pang of resentment when one of the girls reached out to Kiba and touched his arm, and she rolled her eyes and shook her head wondering what exactly her problem was.

Breakfast had been ... interesting, to say the least. She had been at complete ease with him – their conversation always flowing with no uncomfortable silences. She had promised to meet him later and he had roped her into spending pretty much all of her free time with him until he was dragged back into work. She had questioned his motives at first, only to be gracefully denied the satisfaction of a straight answer. So, after much deliberation and unsuccessful threatening glares, she had agreed, much to Kiba's glee.

She didn't know what his plans were, but he had claimed it was going to be worth her time. He was just lucky that Shikamaru and Chouji were out on a mission of their own – or so her sceptical side argued. It's not that she wanted to be the center of Kiba's attention – or so she said to herself – it was to avoid having to put up with all his whining about the boredom of vacation.

He had even threatened to find her, no matter where she was in the village, just to grace her with his presence and bore her to tears with the monotonous reports of his lonesome and boring days with Akamaru. She'd rather die a painful gruesome and slow death.

In exchange, she did make him promise that they would train – she needed to stay active. He had nearly lost an eye when she flicked her fork his way no thanks to a crude comment on the side effects of food and her 'sensitive' metabolism. The man had balls, she had to admit, to be so rude with her. She was an assassin in her own right, even if he _was_ her shadow.

_Her shadow... _

That whole revelation last night had left a sour taste in her mouth. She had always pictured herself alone on these missions. She had seduced her way through each one of them; put aside all notions of her own identity to become a persona the mission required for success. She felt slight embarrassment knowing that someone from her childhood had seen her in several positions, let alone under the fake pleasures of the enemy.

She sighed. That was one kettle of fish she wasn't ready to tackle – at least not yet. She knew Kiba was aware of what her job was and how she had to go about it, but for some reason it bothered her. She wasn't one to care for other people's opinions; she had purged herself a long time ago of any guilt for her decisions. Kiba still looked at her with the same respect, still treated her as a comrade of equal worth. She didn't need to be wary of his opinion nor should she give two shits what he thought.

He was her shadow; he knew everything there was to know about her. There was no need for her to fret over what he thought or what he believed he knew about her. Ino narrowed her eyes at no one in particular, her lips pressed together again and she squared her shoulders. If he knew so damned much about her, she would take this opportunity to know everything about the little bastard.

She pushed open the door to the public baths. A new goal was twirling inside her brain and she felt rejuvenated despite the fact that she smelled like day old booze. Before the door could enclose her inside the building, she looked over her shoulder. Kiba had disappeared into the crowd and the two women had moved on to the next sale - and for some strange reason, she looked forward to seeing the knucklehead later that night and every day after that.

* * *

"Ready?"

Ino watched Kiba enter her home. She narrowed her eyes lightly at the sudden intrusion but disregarded the fact that once _again_, she hadn't sensed him close to her; he was far too quiet.

"Almost," her voice drifted from the confines of the bathroom. Kiba looked around her apartment. He'd been here several times over the years, but the atmosphere had changed drastically. It held less and less "Ino" to the place. The walls seemed bare, the paint stale – even the air was barely palatable.

"What's with the lack of decorations?" he piped up, far from fearing for his life. Ino poked her head out of the bathroom and scrunched up her face in irritation. It didn't faze him.

"I'm barely ever here," she disappeared again inside the small room, "plus I'm gone for months at a time with missions. It's pointless to make this place anything more than a sleeping quarter."

Her voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument. Kiba didn't push for more; the last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with the fiery blonde over something trivial like "you need some _curtains_, and maybe some_ plants_ to liven up the place."

He shrugged, looking away from the blandness of her walls to the bathroom entrance. She stepped out and his breath hitched. She wasn't dressed dazzling, as one would expect her to, but the simplicity of her ensemble was beautiful. He shot her a winning smile, which caused her to give him a suspicious look while crossing her arms against her chest and snorting; instantly destroying the image of a refined woman.

He should have known better. Ino was suspicious by nature, especially with him. There were too many secrets between them and he knew he had to be honest with her if he wanted to get closer to her. She was teetering on a fine line - systematically cutting herself off from everyone around her - and he was determined to stop her self-destruction.

When had it changed from solely protecting her to loving her? He wasn't quite sure, but watching her thrive through the ranks of the best Shinobi at the cost of her humanity had set something in motion for him.

He wasn't expecting her to forgive him once he came clean. Hell, he expected a beating and hoped that in due time she would forgive him for his selfishness. He hadn't originally wanted to tell her everything, but Kiba knew that she would eventually figure it all out on her own anyway now that she was suspicious.

Besides, what kind of man was he if he couldn't even tell the woman he cherished the truth from his own lips?

"I'm ready." She stepped past him out her door and he quickly followed, oddly subdued with a lump of fear nestled deep into his belly. She gave him a sidelong glance; her curiosity was gnawing at the back of her mind as to why he was so gentleman-like.

"I was thinking we could eat something a little different tonight." There was a strange quiver in his husky voice.

'_Nerves?' _she wondered to herself, not sure how she should handle his weirdness. He was avoiding her eyes, and his step was quick and uneven.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" she asked, not bothering to hide her suspicion from her tone of voice. She could almost feel him swallow hard. She continued to look ahead while he soundlessly fell into step next to her.

"I'm in the mood for some meat," he said, as though lost in thought.

Her fingers tightly wound themselves around his elbow as she hummed in agreement and let him lead the way. She suppressed the urge to frown when she felt the tension under her finger tips. The usual lean muscle was stiff, incompliant. He was fidgety; his body language screamed his insecurity.

"What's the matter?" Her question struck through the air like shattering glass. "You're acting strange."

"Am I?" He feigned innocence, and she saw through, pinching the flesh of his arm between her fingers. He squirmed, even yelped like a pup before she stopped and he grinned. Nervous laughter escaped his mouth and filled her with a strange sense of sadness. What was he hiding from her?

"Ah, I'd rather wait until after this date," he reassured her.

She narrowed her eyes and humphed lightly. "This isn't a date, Inuzuka."

"Maybe," he drawled out strangely, uncertainty still laced his words.

His change of subject indicated that he wasn't going to go further into the matter and she begrudgingly complied.

"Here we are." He pushed open the entrance flap of the restaurant and led her in. She would get it out of him, even if it cost her a notch of dignity. Little did she know, it would throw everything she knew about Kiba and their odd relationship out the window.

* * *

**TBC - R&R**

Did you get my little joke? Hope it was like a _bucket of ice water_ down your pants, my fellow pervs! =D


	4. Chapter 3: Fizzle Dazzle Burn

**Dirt on my hands and knees**  
_By eternalshiva_

_Disclaimer – _  
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by _Perpetual159_.

**AN** – Wee! Almost done!

Thank you, _Jolly Green_ and _Perpetual159_, for the beta. I appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 3**  
Fizzle, dazzle, burn

"_Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me  
You gave my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny.  
Train – Hey Soul Sister_

_

* * *

  
_

Things hadn't gone well after dinner.

Ino shifted on the hard wooden bench outside of Naruto's office, several days after this particular night in question. The heat was unbearable once again and she was left to her own devices after a sudden summoning. Her mind wandered over the events again and she couldn't help but sigh.

It had been a wonderful dinner. Kiba was charming, she was almost pleasant and they ate like starving idiots. The conversation was more sophisticated than she would have ever pegged him to be able to sustain; who knew Kiba could say words longer than four syllables? He had invited her for a walk after dinner – under the watchful eye of the moon – and she had accepted without a second thought.

'_I should have kept my guard up_,' she thought, groaning audibly in the empty hallway. The second she decided that Kiba was an okay guy that she could allow past her defences, he pulled this stunt out of the blue. This complete and utter bullshit that fell out of his mouth, dripping like poison and shattering everything she believed in about her and Kiba; it made her boil!

The worst part was... it _hurt_.

She had been deceived by not only him, but Naruto as well. Hinata was on her shit list, too; she was just as guilty for convincing the Hokage to go ahead with this ridiculous plan to watch over her. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead to wipe at the sweat tickling her skin. She was getting tired of thinking about this problem – she'd barely slept.

She was one of _the_ best kunoichi in Konoha, and she had worked _hard_ – damn it. They undermined her ability, they... didn't _believe_ in her. She was heart-broken, and the look on Kiba's face the moment she cracked showed her he knew they were done – there was nothing between them after this.

Each pang of emotion that twisted inside her chest reminded her that her training wasn't complete, it had fallen out of her grasp - her _emotions_ were raw again. Years of training had gone up in smoke the second she laid her eyes on the ANBU that kept her company. Kiba had managed to uproot her personality and scatter it to the four winds to her horror and his glee.

She hated the fact that he'd gotten under her radar, snuck in under her preserved defences. Her hot anger hadn't even made him _flinch_ when he told her he'd been watching her for a long time. Her initial reaction had been one of shock, then complete and utter rage.

She was sure he didn't regret telling her, considering he had allowed the beating she gave him at the training grounds. His voice still pleaded with her, whispered painfully "Hate me all you want Ino, I'm not going anywhere," and she complied with his request. She let her emotions flow out, unlocked from the insides and they poured out like a waterfall.

Ugh! That word again: _emotions_.

"That damned idiot!" she suddenly growled out-loud, the echo of her own voice against the walls of the corridor startled her out of her irritation for several seconds, allowing her to calm down before continuing her quiet brooding.

It really pissed her off how Sakura had given her shit for beating the ANBU within an inch of his life; trying to guilt trip her on how she had spent most of her day putting him back together. He looked fine when she caught a glimpse him the following morning. Despite her warnings from the previous night, he spotted her and bee-lined in her direction. She discovered later that she should've beaten him harder since it didn't stop him from continuing his rendition of his vigilant watch over her since they were teenagers and how he knew everything there was to know about her.

That's when she realised that there were no secrets hidden from him; she was completely exposed and there was nothing she could do or say about it.

Her fists clenched at the memory.

She couldn't put her finger on what exactly she wanted to do to the idiotic ninja that dared claim that Yamanaka Ino needed _anyone's_ protection. His expression when she had stood up, her eyes dangerously flashing while words continued to fall out of his mouth like a waterfall – admitting his obsession with keeping her safe, keeping her from completely disconnecting herself from the rest of humanity – had entirely enraged her.

Not only had she felt completely infuriated, she had felt humiliated. She had screamed at him, losing her composure steadily as his fingers found her wrists and pulled her to him. She had kicked him, yelled at him, but he had taken it all while smiling some sort of satisfied grin as she lost her control. She accused him of many things and he had agreed on every single claim. He didn't refute any of them, even added some of his own and admitted his guilt.

When the details of his agreement with Naruto had come to light, she had laughed in disbelief. All these years... She had been fooled by two good friends, people she trusted with her life. She had spat words at him and pushed him away, but he still clung to her wrists; only letting go for a moment to wrap his arms around her shoulders and crush her petite form against his chest. Her angry muffled words dripped into the night, but he only continued to ask for forgiveness.

She had whispered how much she hated him and against all reason he had pressed his chin against her temple and nodded. She cried when he said he didn't blame her if she never spoke to him again, that she wouldn't see him again unless she had to.

True to his word – she hadn't seen him since. She hadn't heard a whisper of his name. Like a shadow, he had disappeared from her life as she had requested. The man had frustrated her beyond reason.

Besides that night, Kiba had managed to uncover a lot of things she had forgotten about herself: he had made her laugh, made her... _feel_.

He had made her _honest _with herself.

Had he always been like that? She could only really recall all the times he had pissed her off or made her stomp off in a rage. But even though he was irritating, loud-mouthed and crass, he'd always made her connect with that part of herself she had wanted to desperately keep disconnected. Now she wasn't so sure if she wanted to continue striving to be the perfect kunoichi.

She sighed, confused once more.

Admittedly, he was different from before. The transition from adolescence to adulthood had somehow slipped between their fingers, skipped over them and their priorities – more or less their training to a certain extent – and had forced them to go in different directions. Her opinion was changing... despite what she told him a few nights ago, she didn't really _mean_ it. She didn't really want to be separated... even if he'd always infuriate her.

She noticed that lately her focus was solely on him; his lips, his eyes, and the feel of his hands on her – the memory imprinted wherever he touched. She couldn't get the velvety sound of his voice out of her mind; it resonated in her mind and she couldn't forget it.

What the hell was _wrong_ with her?

This was _Kiba_ – and she was_ pissed _at him, certainly not supposed to be feeling _guilty_!

"The Hokage will see you now."

Ino blinked and looked in the direction where the voice had come from to find Konohamaru. She felt unsettled, but pushed all thoughts of Kiba out of her mind. She nodded to the assistant and followed him into the office. The door clicked softly behind her and she stood at ease before her boss.

Naruto eyed her strangely. "You ready for another mission?" he asked, causing her to arch a brow in wonder.

"Are you asking me?" That was a little strange, even for him.

"Yeah, you seem a little out of it," she blinked, "that's why I'm asking. I don't want my best kunoichi blowing her cover if she's not up to it."

She felt hot rage bubble up, quicker than usual. She hadn't discussed anything with him yet in regards to the deal they had to "protect" her. Ignorant of why she was volatile, Naruto kept his expression stoic, ignoring her quiet outburst.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Naruto rolled his eyes openly before handing her a scroll. She unfurled it and read carefully; the mission was difficult and would require all the skills in her arsenal. She tried not to fidget as Kiba's face crossed her mind.

"Kiba will shadow you during the mission," Naruto added offhandedly as she rose to leave. A heavy weight landed square in her stomach, her eyes squeezed shut despite herself and she repressed the urge to gag.

What was this... _feeling_?

There mere thought of knowing Kiba was going to be there in the shadows had her flustered – guilt ridden after their unsettled argument. She didn't want him to be there while she lied and fucked her way through enemy secrets.

"Can you find someone else?" She didn't dare look at Naruto.

She heard him lean back into his chair and said nothing for a few minutes.

"He's my best tracker and he knows how you operate. He knows what to expect from your missions and when to come if you're in trouble." His tone of voice left no room for argument. "Something happened that I need to know about?"

She stiffened, annoyed that she was so transparent even _Naruto_ clued in that there was something wrong. What was she supposed to say to him?

"No, nothing's happening that concerns you, Hokage-_sama_." She brought her chin up defiantly. He brought up a scroll to hide his face, pretending to read the finer details of the mission. It took everything in him not to openly snicker, so he settled on a very wide smirk.

The type of smirk that would make his Hinata _frown_ with worry since it meant his inner prankster was out and willing to cause havoc.

"It's not something I can do, Ino," he continued from behind his shield of paper. She became suspicious almost instantly when she heard a soft snort. "He's the best suited as your partner for this." He peered over the edge of his document, still strategically hiding his impish grin. He caught a strange emotion in her eyes and it made him drop all notions of some juvenile prank when he recognized worry in her.

He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but the momentary flash of emotion was gone from her delicate features, replaced with some strange stoic expression he recognized as her usual self. He was a bit torn at pressing her for more detail on what was bothering her – particularly on what was making her questions Kiba's ability – but there was one thing for sure: Kiba had gotten under her skin.

She waved good-bye and disappeared behind the door. He listened to her gradually disappearing footsteps before moving on to the next scroll.

"Konohamaru, get Kiba," Naruto shouted as his assistant passed by his office door, "he's got a mission with Ino."

"Sure thing, Boss."

The sudden shout of victory bellowing out of the office slowed the assistant for mere milliseconds, but he didn't falter – it wasn't a secret that Naruto was strange and this was no different than any other day.

* * *

The mission had nearly failed, to Ino's dismay, after months of careful infiltration.

Her cover was blown, but only after she'd managed to get the information she needed from the target. Her momentary lapse in her mission persona had destroyed her careful plan; Kiba's face had crossed her mind and all the insecurity and regret flooded her while she was seducing her patron. She had decided right then and there that she would no longer do these missions until she had Kiba out of her mind and out of her system.

She was going to have to resort to drastic measures to get out of this thing alive despite the fact that she had been prepared to die, but her target's claim on her insignificant life had been interrupted. Frozen in place, above her in his naked glory, she had felt something wet hit her face – _blood_, had she idly thought – later to be accompanied by the gargled sounds as he crashed down to meet the goddess of death.

She blinked. _Kiba._ She was suddenly very grateful that Naruto had refused her request to change her guardian. Her eyes searched the darkness, but were met with the shadow of trees. She knew that her own shadow stood guard, watching, waiting for her to _move_.

Ino heard the low sound of a growl from Akamaru and understood immediately – _Now or Never_.

She had fled, not one to waste an opportunity. She found a bundle of clothes waiting for her outside the window, and an array of dead guards that created a path for her to follow. Without pause, she had leaped over the wall of the compound. As her feet touched the ground, the cold steel of a blade had brushed between the clavicles of her shoulders causing her to stiffen – her turquoise eyes had narrowed dangerously. She didn't get the chance to react; Kiba had swooped down from the heavens and killed her assailant before she could take in a calming breath.

She repressed the urge to shudder in fear as she recalled the fierce battle that ensued. Their bodies had touched in passing for a mere instant before Kiba had disappeared from her view, a blur into the night only exposed by the clang of weapons and the low rumble of Akamaru's warnings. She saw him, for an instant, like twin stars in the moon's wide orb as Akamaru henged himself into Kiba for their attacks and swooped down again, swiftly moving to slaughter those that threatened to interrupt Kiba's carefully laid plans of her escape.

Right then she found him unbelievably beautiful and something inside her squeezed - the need for his forgiveness was overwhelming.

With his back to her, his grey plated armour glinted under the brightness of the moon light. The swords he carried cut through their enemies, the reflection of metal warning the enemy for a brief instant before he brought them above his head and sliced his foes with an ease that comforted her. She caught herself watching him, breathless at his beauty, and a fierce emotion of pride swept through her.

She recalled how the blood danced through the midnight air and fell like thirsty rain drops on the desert floor. Life had stained his mask, but it was breathtaking. She had felt his attention on her, his calculating gaze watching her as she picked up a blade on the ground and killed her way through to him. Despite the distance between them, she had been able to see his muscles flex under the strain of his desperate survival, how his hair had fought the breeze and how she could have sworn that she heard him breathe despite the chaos surrounding them.

The night had blurred from there on, and the memories jumbled as she fled and fought. Her mind had repressed most of the violence and she couldn't remember how she had managed to return to the designated hideout - but there she had been, safe, warm and _alone_.

The trip back to Konoha had been strange, to say the least. She kept looking back over her shoulder - whispering his name desperately, whispering her apologies and her need to see him after they reported to Naruto. The silence had been deafening, her regret drowning out the world. She couldn't see him, but she could _feel_ him there; his presence had embedded in her senses: never too far, but never close enough for her to catch a glimpse of him. A constant comfort she knew she could no longer go without. Her mind had battled desires, indecision and self-discovery on the enigma of Kiba over several days after waking in the hideout. She was haunted by the fact that she could recall every detail, every syllable he had spoken to her; the sound of his voice was intoxicating.

She had the powerful and urgent need to dig her fingers in his flesh had taste the deepest and darkest parts of him. She did not deny it was an obsession that had steadily grown over the last few months while on this mission, his constant presence and distraction had instigated something deep within herself.

She dismissed the strange energy seeping out into the night as she slowly made her way through the village. The air was thick, humid and flowing with something that was tickling her skin, cackling into the night. She sighed, scrunched up her face and rubbed it trying to clear the slow irritating itch caused by dirt and sweat. It clung to her like a second skin. She caught her reflection briefly in a puddle on the street and groaned. Her clothes were still torn from her escape and she looked a complete mess.

When the Hokage tower came into view, her mind pushed aside the confusion of her deep rooted concern of her sanity. The high probability of seeing Kiba at the debriefing made her heart flutter strangely, her feet felt lighter and she hadn't noticed the increase in speed as she jogged to the tower. Her legs climbed the stairs two by two and her fingers latched on to the rail as though her life depended on it. She clenched her jaw nervously; she couldn't understand why every time she blinked she could see _him_ behind her lids.

That mask, his intense gaze burning through her soul under the spectral light of the moon – protecting her. She nearly lost her balance when heat in her belly pooled and weakened her knees; she bit her lip, hard; copper flooded her mouth as she finally understood what she was suffering from.

_Lust_.

An uncontrollable lust for _Kiba_.

He'd gotten under her skin – slowly but surely – imbedded in her pores, her mind drunk with thoughts of what Kiba was doing to her. Like an addict, the need to hear his voice was compulsory, the sheer want of him licked at the back of her skull and she couldn't get enough.

Dear _god_, she'd gone insane.

Her petite fist hit the wooden panes of the Hokage door, Naruto's voice was muffled, as she walked in and saw he was alone. She hid her disappointment, but it was clear on her face when she sat across from the Hokage. He raised a brow, curious at her behaviour, but dismissed it almost immediately.

"Welcome home, Ino." Naruto grinned, and she smiled in return, happy to see him after such a long absence.

"Thank you." The nervous energy returned, plaguing her as she delved into details of her mission, eager to be done and start the waiting game for Kiba to arrive. She wouldn't have to wait long, since she was still explaining how she found the target. The sound of feet against the wooden panes of the floor distracted her momentarily; the gentle knock rang loudly in her ears.

"Sorry, I'm late."

There, the sound of Kiba's voice slammed into her, tickled her ears and sent a delicious shiver down her back. Months of repressed want came back full force as she tried to look indifferent in front of Naruto and the man that inflicted her with foreign sensations. She confirmed the feeling she couldn't ignore, the feeling of _lust_, the need to _fuck_ with raw animal thirst again and again.

"Ino?" Naruto's voice cut through, interrupting her thoughts. She blinked, confused as to why Naruto had interrupted her report and continued on, trying to ignore Kiba. Unfortunately, like a moth to a flame, she couldn't stop. She caught his movement, turned her head slightly towards him and watched as he walked towards her. She noted, absent-mindedly, that his mask no longer held the evidence of his battle and wondered why he was still wearing it, missing his face.

His presence invaded the room, suffocating and leaving her gasping for air. Her gaze followed each torturous slow step, mesmerized by the way his body leaned from side to side as he walked slowly towards them. His hand rose to his face, and her breath hitched when he lifted the mask; she was hit with a sense of déjà-vu.

Kiba glanced at Ino; there was something strange about her. Her jaw was clenched as though she was fighting the urge to run. She shifted from one foot to the next and she kept fidgeting. He frowned slightly, absent-mindedly wiped at his sideburn, sweat had beaded and slipped down his neck and was making its way down under his plated armour. It wasn't as hot as before, but the rushed journey home had left him sweaty and from what he could see, so was Ino.

He caught Ino licking her lips quickly and biting the lower lip before looking away from him. He raised a brow, not sure how he should take that particular reaction. He grabbed onto his mask and slipped it under an armpit, still eyeing the blonde woman. His nose twitched, still charged with chakra as he tracked down Ino through the forest on their way home.

His nose twitched again, she looked away and focused on the window. He couldn't see her face just then, but she was struggling to keep down a blush. Ino was well aware of what the twitch of his nose meant. She wouldn't be able to hide the smell of her arousal for much longer.

She tried to cross her legs to control the pulse there as she sat down. It took everything in her to keep from groaning when she heard his sharp intake of breath as her legs split for a second to cross them. Against her will, a shiver went down her spine and strange goose bumps prickled her arms when she glanced his way.

Her breath locked itself inside her chest from what she saw. There was no denying it - the heat in his eyes almost burned her skin. It lasted for maybe a second, maybe less, just before he turned and focused on Naruto, relaying his report of events.

He couldn't concentrate.

Every time Ino moved he cursed his heightened sense of smell. Her arousal slammed into him again and again – he could hear her breathing and the soft sound of her licking her lips. He needed to dissipate the chakra, but he couldn't convince himself to. She smelled exquisite and there was no mistaking the heavy sexual tension between them, he wasn't misreading her intentions or her want.

Kiba could feel her eyes on his back as he spoke; he shifted under the feel of it. He almost lost composure when she sighed and started to fan herself to cool off. He could smell the feminine sweat seeping through her skin from the heat, and his senses went _reeling_.

She shifted again – he glanced her way – her chest was moving slowly and he followed a drip of sweat rolling down in-between the valley of her breast and disappeared under the violet fabric of her ninja garb.

_Fuck._

How long was this damned report going to be? Naruto was toying with them, he could tell. Naruto's eyes twinkled, the smirk, the unusual long interrogation and questions on useless details from their mission. Ino's sighs were distracting, the sound of her humming in agreement, the flick of her hair and god damn it, the smell of her arousal was making it hard to be thankful for his ANBU plates.

"You're dismissed, Ino." Naruto interrupted Kiba before he could finish. Her disappointment wasn't hard to miss when Naruto spoke the words. She had expected to stay and listen to the remaining portion of their mission but it seemed Naruto had different plans. Kiba didn't turn to look at her – he was having trouble controlling the quickly firing synapses in his brain screaming to grab her and strip her clean of the sweat drenched clothing.

She stared at his back and bit her lip slightly thinking about the ripples of muscles carefully hidden under the armour. She wondered what they would feel like under her finger tips as she passed behind him, her eyes lowered and lingered on the well defined rump and without thinking she bumped her hip into his ass, throwing him off balance a moment, forcing him to look at her.

"Oh! Sorry, Kiba," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed at her distraction. She blushed when their eyes met for a moment before he focused on Naruto once more.

"It's fine, Ino." She heard it, in his voice – the promise of something. She couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly but his tone was low, husky and dangerous.

She didn't look back as she strolled out the door, hips swaying slightly more than usual and she knew without a doubt that Kiba was watching her every move.

Naruto raised a brow, rested his chin on his right hand before pursing his lips. These guys were so easy to read, even for him. Once he knew Ino was out of earshot, he cleared his throat, catching Kiba's attention away from the door.

"What?" Kiba was irritated at the strange behaviour of his friend. Ino's arousal still lingered in the office and it was making him a little nutty. Naruto shrugged, eyes twinkling. Kiba groaned – he needed to get the hell out of there fast.

"I was about to ask if you wanted me to leave, but then I realised this was my office and I didn't want my two best shinobi fucking on, say, my desk for example; you might break something valuable."

Kiba growled out a threat and Naruto laughed, throwing his hands up in the air before calling a truce.

"Okay, okay – don't get your panties in a knot." Ignoring his friend's comment, Kiba turned to leave, increasing the chakra in his nose to track down Ino before she managed to get to her home.

He was confused. Ino had made it clear that night that she didn't want to have anything to do with him and he'd spent a lot of time and effort to stay out of her sight. Her reaction to him in the office had nearly knocked him on his ass.

"Just one thing," Naruto chuckled when Kiba focused on him, "I don't want to find out you two destroyed half the village in the throes of lust – it will come out of your pay check otherwise."

Kiba was _speechless_.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh when the ANBU glared at him before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Akamaru growled at the Hokage, who nervously gulped before the animal turned tail and followed his master. Sighing in relief, he smirked.

* * *

**TBC - R & R**

One to two chapters left! We're in the home stretch guys!


	5. Chapter 4: Found you

**Dirt on my hands and knees**  
_By eternalshiva_

_Disclaimer –_  
I do not own _Naruto_ nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by Perpetual159.

**AN – **Yay last chaptah! _Ugh this writer's block is awful ~_~ enjoy the porn!_

_Thank you, Jolly Green and Perpetual159, for the beta – I know I've been a total crank lately!_

_**Warning: Marute subject, dominance, swearing.  
**  
_

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* * *

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**Chapter 4  
Found you  
**

"_You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be_  
_I want the world to see you be with me..."  
- Trains' Hey, Soul Sister_

_

* * *

_

Ino scrunched up her face as the sweat trickled slowly between her shoulder blades. She shrugged her right shoulder in retaliation, but her clothes were too heavy from the night's moisture to do as she bid. The fabric clung to strange forgotten spots of her skin instead, ignoring the bead of sweat in its entirety. She blew out a breath ungraciously, struggling with the sticky littlest bits of strands that wouldn't leave the skin, flicking particularly at a strand of hair that landed across her nose.

Ino realised, as she was in the middle of threatening her ponytail with an overdue hair cut, that she was _frustrated_. A deeply embedded frustration that made her want to curl into a ball and scream. This, of course, was not something that she would ever openly admit to.

You see, it was a well-known fact that the _current_ Yamanaka Ino did not get frustrated, never mind this other impossible problem of being irritable beyond redemption, no thanks to that idiot Kiba.

She sighed.

'_It's not his fault I'm like this,_' she thought with a groan while rubbing her face in fatigue. Her feet dragged against the gravel before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road. Was there someone to blame for the way she was _feeling_? Hadn't she spent the last ten years of her life trying to _forget_ this handicap?

"That bastard," she grumbled, recalling his confession to purposely prevent her from forgetting herself. It didn't really make her angry anymore – she had forgiven him – but now she was left with her mind all muddled, confused and unsure. All she could think about was _him_, and it made her crazy.

She could clearly recall his sounds, his skin, his battle stances, the sway in his step, his eyes in the darkness and the way his lips twitched when he said her name. She could picture his lips stretch, the canines teasing the flesh, the vibration of his voice sucking in every second and inch of her attention into his world.

She was so _fucked_. Beyond repair – no amount of vacation would _fix_ her, she was sure of it. She needed him out of her system and fast. Maybe she could get back to normal if she let herself indulge in her desires...

She snorted – getting her head cut off would probably be the more effective and reliable solution compared with trusting her vagina to be satisfied with one _single _tryst with Kiba.

Speaking of which, she was upset with that little part of her anatomy just then. It had been shameless in the office, spewing pheromones like cheap perfume and stinking up the alleys of a harlot's territory. Just thinking about Kiba's nose twitching in reaction to her wasn't making her heart flutter in girlish pride, it made her want to find a hole in the ground and pray it could give her sweet, sweet relief from her embarrassment.

Secretly, she hoped he wouldn't act on it... but that look he gave her when she was leaving... she groaned. The heated _I'm-going-to-hunt-you-down _look he'd given her was a dead giveaway that doing anything other than biding her time until Naruto was done torturing the man in his office would be a futile effort.

She hoped it would take a while; she needed to get herself out of _fuck-his-brains-out_ mode and back into _couldn't-give-a-shit_ mode.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.

Who was she _kidding_? That wasn't _sweat_ inside her panties. _That, _my friend_,_ was pure un-adulterated lust in all its sticky, gooey glory. How humiliating; the great Yamanaka Ino was turned on like a drippy faucet in the middle of summer, all because of a man.

Not just any man, an _irritating_ comrade.

"Ugh." She leaned against a lamppost and rubbed her face in agony. She needed to cool off, get the sweat off her body and maybe a solid _dicking_ from –

"Yamanaka."

_Fantastic._

Ino cursed out her leader for his lack of skill in keeping the tracker busy long enough for her to even escape her own lust-induced stupidity. She shifted slightly from one foot to the next. She could sense his eyes on her; she could clearly imagine his strange pupils tracking her every move despite her efforts to remain very still.

She bit her lip again while searching the endless void of the night. The dim streetlights were nearly useless. She knew he was melded against the shadows and she wouldn't be able to find him unless he _wanted_ her to see him.

"Inuzuka."

Despite her confident name-calling to the shadows and crossing her arms in defiance, she tried to keep that wretched feeling of instability at bay with her will alone. She couldn't let him see her falling apart at the seams, even if she could feel his eyes on her, burning, itching like a mosquito bite. She swatted at the air, trying to divert the intense attention away from her sensitive senses.

"What do you want?" Her question sounded like a hallow echo against the night. Her gaze lingered towards the darkest area of the street, but she still couldn't sense him.

"A loaded question." His reply was like a whisper and his breath tickled her ear, surprising her. She turned towards the noise and her left hand quickly found her right ear, pressing her fingers against the lobe. Goosebumps chased the flesh up to her hairline at the nape of her neck. He wasn't there, nowhere to be seen when she turned to catch the elusive ninja. She grew nervous at the lack of contact from him; at the lack of presence.

She was his prey, she knew that and she felt a surge of unwanted excitement course through her veins.

"Stop fucking around, Kiba," she warned. Her body backed into the pole, her eyes scanned the area and still, she couldn't pin down his location.

"Who's fucking around?" She heard the question before his fingers grazed her shoulder. She didn't move. The slight tickle of his touch surprised her, but the searing heat it left behind dragged out a shiver down the length of her spine.

"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded like a whisper, clearly conveying her uncertainty, even if against her will.

"I should be asking _you_ that."

Silence tore between them, she fidgeted nervously, and his lack of presence itched her skin – the uncertainty of his intentions set fire to her.

"W-what do you mean by that?" She knew very well, but the silence was getting to her.

"You're confusing me." To the left, his voice drifted away on the breeze. "You tell me to stay out of your sight, but your body says otherwise."

She blushed – hard – and crossed her arms against his observation. She had nothing to say for herself. She had been selfish, rude and quick tempered with him, unreasonably so, she might add.

"Well I –" she didn't get far into her excuses. The light went out from the lamppost, distracting her and consequently burying her deep within the darkness. She swallowed her nervous disposition and waited for his next move. The interruption of silence was brief when the pole shifted slightly against her back before she heard the small shuffle of his feet, almost like a warning that he was on to her.

_'Only Kiba could hide in plain sight_.' she thought as she realised the man had perched himself on the pole and stalked her.

"Well, what?" Kiba stood close behind her, the pole stood between them like a shield. She couldn't answer him, her excuses were lies even she couldn't accept telling to herself. Her silence only irked the tracker even more.

He grabbed her folded arms and flipped her around the pole, forcefully pressing her back against the aging wood, but she didn't resist, her face was merely turned away from his. He couldn't make out her expression; her ponytail had become oddly loose letting some hair cast more shadows than necessary on her face.

"Well, _what_?" the whisper was harsh, and Ino flinched under him, his grip tightening around the wrists.

Her silence was saying more than she could ever put into words. He sighed and his grip loosened slightly. Ino peeked at him through her bangs, trying to see his expression, but it was too dark.

"I'm not doing this if all you want is a quick fuck to get me out of your system."

Ino flicked her head, her eyes narrowed in rebellion, ready to tear his statement apart. But before she could open her mouth to retort, it slammed into her – the truth exposing her to him. She looked down to ground, unable to look at him.

"I can't be what you want me to be," she whispered. As her forehead leaned against the breastplate of his ANBU gear, she felt a prickle of tears threatening to spill. Kiba let go of her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, stunned by her moment of vulnerability.

"How do you know for sure?" He pressed his cheek against hers tenderly.

Her brows arched in surprise at the gentleness of his words.

"How can you be so certain that it's not possible?"

The question was heavy against her ethics. She had trained nearly all her life to be what she was today, and he was asking her to throw that aside for a moment of insanity?

"It's not that easy, it's not something I can just–"

"Aren't you tired of this charade? Aren't you tired of being alone all the time?" he interrupted, his index and thumb raising her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. She saw it there, the honesty in his question, the moonlight keeping them secret only to her. She frowned; his words were true, she knew.

She had given up on her own happiness a long time ago; her position as a full-fledged kunoichi stripped her of that right.

"That's not something–" his lips brushed against hers, further silencing her excuses. He paused briefly, mere inches away from her lips. The moonlight caught him, twisting each shadow around his body like a lover, Ino blinked suddenly at his unspoken request lingering between them.

Her breath caught at the sudden beauty, her lips parted and he kissed her. Chaste, shy and gentle for no more than a moment, he mumbled against her lips. She strained to hear what he whispered. His coarse fingers touched her cheek, distracting her but she heard it.

"Let me _in_, Ino –let me _love_ you."

His quiet words struck something deep inside her and his honesty at that moment made her question her own reasons for denying him this simple request. The ache in his plea squeezed at her heart, she leaned into his touch and soon noticed that he probably wasn't even aware of the way his body yearned for her. No, his words weren't lies. There was no trickery there – she could tell by the way his body shuddered at her barest touch. At that very moment she could sense everything in him.

What had shocked her a little was his correct assumption that she was indeed tired of her constant sacrifice, tired of being alone in her endeavours for perfection. She had barred herself from hoping she would ever be accepted by another; her special training was very difficult to accept... but then again, Kiba was right before her, offering her something she had thought was completely out of her reach.

So what was stopping her?

What was holding her back, or more specifically, what was it that she was protecting so... so..._ zealously_?

"I-I–" she stuttered between the meeting of their lips, he pulled her closer, his fingers loosening the ponytail and the uncertainty pooled in the pit of her stomach.

Still... she had to hand it to him.

_'Bastard.'_

The marvellous feeling of his lips teasingly brushing against hers was rather distracting, and she was pretty sure he knew it, too.

Moments later it was her turn to shudder when she heard him growl approvingly when, with his insisting kisses, she unconsciously bit his bottom lip softly, soothing it with her tongue before he pulled away and breathed deeply.

"_Please_..." he pleaded again against her ear.

Ino closed her eyes tightly, this time biting her lower lip indecisively. His request was simple but the repercussions were _life altering_.

When his tormenting lips pulled away, she almost sighed both in relief and disappointment. She suddenly found herself against his chest, his arms wrapping around her tightly. His embrace was strong and masculine, yet it also ignited a sense of comfort and security. The riddle was unravelling itself at an alarming pace and for the first time in a long time, she welcomed the uncertainty of those feelings surfacing.

It was the kind of feeling she had always wondered about when she felt the loneliest in the midst of those difficult missions; the kind of mission that tore at the heart and soul. Deep down, she knew she never wanted to be assigned to them in the first place, but because of her never-ending quest for perfection and her self-proclaimed rejection, she felt the need to accept them.

She was terrified to admit it, but she wanted to hold on to this strange feeling Kiba ignited. The way he gripped the fabric of her shirt against her back, fingers tightly wound, and the slight shake of his hands entirely exposed his vulnerability and she was shocked by the complete trust he poured into her with these silent acts.

It was at that moment that it finally dawned on her that if she decided to step away from this opportunity, she would not only regret it for the rest of her life, but she would always yearn for him, for the feel of his arms around her. She would yearn for the million different ways he'd look at her: with tenderness, warmth, mischief, admiration, lust and so much more.

And so, with the graze of one of his fangs against the sensitive skin of her neck, an immediate and very intense need for him flared again. Images of his flesh haunted her: the flexibility of his muscles in the midst of battle, the seriousness of his gaze when he focused only on her. She greedily lapped at the knowledge that no matter what, he would always be waiting in the shadows, always urging her to _move_ despite her resignation to live the life she had chosen.

She couldn't keep him in the shadows any longer. She would draw him out, just like he had pulled her back into humanity. She wanted everything he had to offer. To fulfil the sudden and urgent need to _feel_ alive. To be the _woman_ he claimed and believed her to be.

She was willing to take that step into the unknown with him. No more doubts plagued her.

She grabbed the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled it back harshly, forcing him to wince. A course of adrenaline shot through her when he swore. His fingers tugged at hers, but they were coiled around too tightly, unwilling to let the strands loose from her grip.

"I'm _warning_ you, stop fucking around Kiba," she nearly snarled. He opened one eye and bared his teeth, fangs glinting against the moonlight. He winced again as she pulled once more, forcing him down to her face, millimetres away from her lips.

"I'm not–" he started, anger lacing his words, but she pulled again, which made his scalp ache more. "Ouch, stop doing th–"

"_Kiba_," she whispered dangerously, her eyes met his for a brief moment and a shiver ran down his spine. Instinctively Kiba knew, in just that moment, he was no longer the hunter, but the hunted. He was her prey, her meal; she was a cat ready to devour him at any moment's notice.

He'd never felt so _exhilarated_ by her before and he was excited by it.

"_What?_"

He defied her, feigned stupidity and pulled free from her grip. Massaging his scalp, he took one step back and eyed her, the triangle pupils barely focused on her before he felt his body move back sharply.

She had _shoved_ him.

He blinked in surprise and momentarily lost his footing before catching his momentum against the wall behind him, but he didn't have time to straighten. Ino had grabbed him again, her fingers having curled against the edge of his ANBU chest plate. She tugged hard, trying to keep him off balance, but he was done being taken by surprise and caught her wrists.

He pried the fingers off his gear and suddenly grabbed her shoulders; twisting their positions, she found herself no longer in the dominant position. Face to face, he pushed her hard against the wall. She yelped when her back slammed into the side of the building, her breath heaving against his armoured chest.

She struggled momentarily before Kiba managed to slip a thigh between her legs. He quickly pulled her wrists above her head and gathered them there. Ino narrowed her eyes and tried to pry her wrists free, but his large hands were determined to win. She pressed her hips against his, a strange growl rumbled from his throat and she suddenly stilled.

Seconds passed between them. They stared at each other and his eyes searched hers for answers she wasn't willing to give right then. Her eyes, contrary to his, focused on his mouth. She licked her lips in anticipation and he didn't miss the hint.

"Stop fucking around, Kiba, and fuck me." She pressed against him again. He didn't answer her – his fingers gripped her wrists harder in an effort to restrain himself.

"_Fuck_ me," she ordered him.

Still he didn't budge; his eyes only narrowed, his nostrils flared for a second, as though he was drinking in her essence.

"Do it before I change my mind on your offer," she pleaded this time, her eyes softening the blow of her words. Would she really give up her life for this man?

Yes, she _would_.

There was a moment's hesitation; she felt his grip loosen from the shock. She could see it in his face; he was surprised. She looked away before she broke down and started pleading for the thick-headed idiot to stick it to her.

"Are you serious?"

It wasn't a question; it was a moment of decision. She nodded without pause, her mind made up.

"I'm not going to be nice," he warned, his index and thumb pulled at her chin, demanding to be met eye to eye. She grinned and before she could answer, his mouth crashed against hers. His tongue invaded her mouth with purpose and his one free hand slipped down her side. He let his fingers press against the skin hard, scratching the length of her body and she let out a hiss against his lips before he reached for her thigh and pulled up her knee to wrap her leg around his hip.

She could feel his erection nestled against her heated sex and she moaned into his mouth before biting his lower invading lip. He broke the kiss and frowned as she gasped for air.

"Fuck, I need to breathe, god damn –" his mouth was on hers again for a brief moment before she retaliated and pushed her tongue inside his mouth. Teeth banged against each other, forcing Kiba to wince when he felt a sharp pang inside his upper lip; he had cut himself with one of his elongated fangs.

Ino tasted the copper against her tongue and she kissed deeper, seeking the injury and licking the length of canines. She always had a strange fascination with this man's teeth and she wasn't going to miss the opportunity to explore them.

Kiba stilled in his assault; her mouth manipulated his own into an embrace so deep he momentarily lost his senses. He moaned, pressing his erection hard against her and she broke the kiss, hissing again.

He let go of her wrists, pulled her other leg up around the other side of his hip and felt her cross her legs behind him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her fingers laced in his hair before she demanded another kiss from his mouth. His hips continued to slowly grind his erection against her. Ino moaned at the sensation and responded with her own grinding.

Kiba let out a grunt. His palms let go of her thighs and pressed against the wall, forcing Ino to cling to him.

She, in turn, felt herself slip.

"What are you doing?" She could barely say the words. Her tongue was hungry for the taste of him once more.

"Alley way," he mumbled in a haze. It was too hot and Ino's scent was clouding his judgement. He pushed off from the wall and unsteadily walked towards the nearby corridor. His hands slipped under her tank top while walking; somehow he took the sweaty material off of her and exposed her breasts to the night.

Her mouth busied itself with the flesh of his neck, momentarily distracting him to the point he tripped, slamming both of them against the brick wall of another building.

"Ouch!" she hissed and grimaced as the brick sliced across her naked flesh. Kiba winced. His knuckles had scraped hard against the wall, as though sympathising with his lover.

"Bare it," he whispered hoarsely against her temple.

Ino gripped him hard as her back scraped again on the bricks and they both winced, the pain slipping away when he distracted her with a toe-curling embrace.

"Sorry," he mumbled between kisses and gulps of air. She shrugged and shut him up by slipping her tongue deeper inside his mouth. She wanted to consume him; she needed to feel him under her skin. She started to claw at his armour plate, itchy to feel her breasts against his chest, but he wouldn't comply.

"Take that shit off," she snarled as she slammed her fist onto his chest. He ignored her, dipping his head lower and licking her neck. He nipped her pulse point with his canines and she shuddered openly. She felt his lips pull back in a grin, but she couldn't care less at this point – he had started to grind against her again. He bit and licked at her collarbone and she shamelessly threw back her head, her mouth agape from the sensation.

Despite everything, she managed to weakly claw at the gear again before his mouth reached the top of one breast and licked the flesh slowly. The velvet feel of the muscle sliding down the skin was confusing. Her skin was hot and damp from sweat, but the trail left behind by his tongue instantly cooled from the night's barely-there breeze.

'_Too slow, he's too fucking slow.'_ She clawed at his back, and her heels dug hard into his ass cheeks as she tried to wiggle away from his torturous mouth, but to no avail. She felt him smirk; those lips pulling back against the soft feminine skin as his teeth scrapped and teased the flesh. Her back scrapped against the bumps on the wall once again, making it seem as if the brick's stones imbedded themselves in her skin, but Ino couldn't really feel them any longer. Her mind was buzzing; her clit pulsing strongly against this man's confidence.

Kiba continued his mission to devour her, slowly and without mercy.

Ino's sweat trickled down the valley of her breasts and he lapped at it, deeply inhaling the smell of her. The heat of her arousal was flooding his chakra-enhanced senses and Ino shuddered when she heard him take in a deep shameless breath of her scent. She was positive she heard him smack his lips.

His fingers dug into the skin of her thighs, once again slipping higher. He could feel the heat of her sex inches away from his curious fingers, and his index reached the outer labia and slipped the length past her cloth-protected entrance.

Ino's body stiffened and he smirked.

Her thighs squeezed his hips, and he slowly thrust anew, his fingers exploring her thoroughly. Her sex was wet – the lips swelling from his abuse – but he still continued his search for her throbbing clit. Ino bucked slightly in anticipation of his touch. Her fingers gripped his shoulders and clung to the edge of his ANBU gear.

Kiba was nearly swept away by her siren sounds, but he quickly released her sex and stopped her movement all-together once he took one tightened nipple into his mouth. Her breath hitched; the foreign sensation buzzed and sparked inside her head. Goosebumps crawled all over her skin while her fingers pulled and tugged at his hair, but Kiba ignored her feeble attempts to interrupt him.

One hand cupped the single breast that wasn't under his mouth's attention; as soon as he found the nipple he pinched it, successfully stopping her from injuring anymore of his scalp.

She yelped, infuriated. She started to hit his back plate, but he thrust his hips hard against her heated sex. Her clit pulsed strongly, forcing the kunoichi to stop breathing for a moment. She couldn't decide how to say his name again, so instead she let out a strange mewl that sent Kiba's senses reeling.

The sweat was thick between them, suffocating the cooling breeze between their aching bodies. Their muscles clenched, flexed and slipped against each other in desperation.

He bit her, she swore at him, but it was lost to him as his mind buzzed with want and need. His lips released her breast and crashed against her lips again. He moaned her name before his hands found her ass and squeezed the cheeks almost painfully. He wanted inside her so badly he could taste it.

Ino heard something rip, but she was distracted by the feel of his arms under her touch. She was mesmerised by him actually; he was all over the place; his hands and lips explored every nook and crevice, every scar, and she couldn't – nor did she want to – hold back, moaning loudly when he probed her most sensitive areas.

Kiba, on the other hand, nearly lost control with the sounds she made.

"_Ino, Ino, Ino..._" he whispered like a mantra, his hips still thrusting, slowly rubbing his erection against her clit. She put a hand to her mouth, biting the skin in an effort to resist losing control.

Ino's eyes widened when his fingers caressed the soft skin of her labia and the slickness welcomed his touch shamelessly. He moaned against her ear as she wiggled under his explorative touch. Something was different; Ino couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it soon became clear to her when she felt the tip of his index probe her entrance.

"You ripped off my panties." She heaved, but any complaints were cut short when it slipped inside her. Her slick vaginal walls clenched down on his finger in surprise.

"What of it?" he mumbled between heated licks and sucks of her skin. She couldn't respond. His fingers stroked her expertly; his thumb rolled slowly over the nub of her clit before he slipped a second finger inside her. He pressed his palm against her and without a moment's hesitation, moved his hand in a tight circle over her center.

"Oh..." she forgot to cover her mouth and left her hands idle around Kiba's shoulders. He pressed his nose against her temple, sliding it down the flesh. He nuzzled her ear and bit the lobe. Her eyes rolled back and his name escaped her lips in a slow torturous moan. She could feel the slow build between her legs, the wetness thickening each pass over her clit. His fingers were coated right up to the knuckles, smearing on his palm. She bucked suddenly, seeking a rougher touch, as his gentle teasing was too much of a tease. It barely satisfied her.

He didn't want her to release just yet. He slowed the touch, and he immediately felt her only increase her bucking against his hand. Her feet pressed hard against his back, and her thighs tightened around him, forcing him to rub her harder. Kiba refused her advances, pulling his hand away altogether.

"What the fuck, Kiba?"

She couldn't quite understand his motives right then, as her world was breaking under his touch and she wanted more. Her eyes were heavy with lust, and her lower lip was red and swollen from her needful biting. He, however, could barely focus on her displeasure. He brought his wet fingers to his mouth and licked them, tasting her openly while she looked on. She had never been so turned on in her life.

She clawed at his armour again. The urgent need to feel his skin against her own was maddening, and she caught one clasp, snapping it off and struggling to find the other one. Kiba grabbed one hand, trying to pull it above her head, but she would have none of it. She slipped out of his grasp and snapped the other clasp off.

"Finally." She was proud of her obvious accomplishment when his breastplate slipped down and hit the ground with a _thunk_.

"Bad girl," he whispered against her ear.

She shivered at his threat, but retaliated by arching her back like a cat in the sun and pressing her breasts against his chest. Her fingers grabbed at the black tank top covering his skin, still unsatisfied. She tugged, needful of his flesh and he was eager to meet her demands. She arches into him while pulling off the cumbersome clothing and hears him suck in a breath. Kiba grunted at the feel of their flesh meeting, the feminine curves against his chest was only a small craving she had satisfied. Her nails scratched down the length of his back and forced him close his eyes. He shuddered, his back muscles rolling under her touch as he moaned her name.

She liked hearing her name like that, so she did it again. She was rewarded with another thrust before she felt his hand slip between them. "Hold on to me," he mumbled unsteadily as he fiddled with his pants. He couldn't think straight, Ino had started to lick his ear and was begging him to do something about her throbbing clit.

He was eager to comply.

He felt the button pop off, Ino's fingers mingled with his and she unzipped the cargo pants. His eyes widened when she slipped her hand inside and grabbed his shaft. Her fingers grabbed on, the inside of her wrist sliding across the head and spreading the oozing pre-cum the length it travelled.

She hummed in satisfaction when his erection twitched and she gave him a slow stroke.

"Fuck…!"

Ino giggled at his loss of control. She pumped again, this time even slower.

He in turn grabbed onto her ass and squeezed almost painfully.

She breathed him in, whispering things he couldn't grasp. He pulled his lips back in a hiss as she flicked her thumb across his head and made it twitch again.

She was going to regret that.

He pulled her hand away and caught her wrist, pulling it above her head while his other hand pulled her hips higher.

"Kiba, what–" she felt something hot slide out of his pants, the erection pressing hard against her exposed labia and she let out a low inaudible sound before he pushed himself hard inside her.

She gasped. He grunted.

There was no turning back.

He moaned her name when her breasts mashed up against his bare chest. His foot hit the ANBU plate against the ground, but neither of them noticed.

She then threw her head back and he leaned his forehead against the wall over her right shoulder, hearing a faint "_Oh... right there!"_

His cock throbbed inside her and he felt her quiver lightly. Her breath was now just a heavy pant as sweat rolled down her face. He licked one drop making its way towards her jaw line.

An elongated _Ohhh_ escaped her lips, which was his cue again. He thrust in hard one last time before pulling out just as she was set to release one of the best orgasms she'd ever experienced.

"Oh, what the _fuck_ Kiba!" she growled, angry he'd denied her release a second time.

He chuckled – the sound vibrating between her legs before he crushed her lips with his own. Her legs dropped to the ground as he steadied her. Once he confirmed she was standing on her own, he flipped her around, pulled her ass towards him and allowed the tip of his erection hit her entrance.

She pressed her palm against the wall and felt his knee between her legs, spreading them wide. He admired her for just a second, hungry for her perfect behind that was eagerly waiting, ready for him.

"You're so damned hot, Ino."

His voice was lush with arousal – the heat in his words was like fire to her ears and her arousal just went up tenfold. She barely had time to steady herself before he plunged into her again. His thrusts were slow, deeply penetrating and she felt like she was losing her mind.

She _screamed. _He maintained his slow, measured pounding, fucking her hard just like she requested, but under his own terms.

Kiba groaned with each thrust, his fingers digging into her hips. He could feel the build up of his own pleasure as Ino clenched down on him. Her insides were quivering with a crescendo of sensations she had never experienced at the hands of another before.

Her knees buckled while he continued his slow torturous pace and her sex pulsed, aching for release. He dropped to his knees with her while, Ino for her part, fortunately managed – just barely – to keep herself from completely wiping out.

Finding herself on all fours, Ino groaned in frustration as he slipped out of her again. He was panting hard, but he barely lost a second as he drove into her again. This time there was no teasing, no tortuous slow pace.

"Keep it right there!" she furiously yelled out. Her pants were loud, the gravel dug at the skin of her palm and her knees were screaming, but she didn't care. All she could feel was Kiba sliding in and out. All she could smell was him and she wanted more.

All she could think was that she'd be damned if he denied her that wretched release a third time. Thus, before he decided to get smart with her again, her right hand reached between her legs, her index and middle fingers touching his shaft as it slid inside her.

Kiba grunted, slamming into her harder before she let go. She found her swollen clit and slipped her fingers eagerly over the nub and pressed down hard, gasping as the sensation doubled her pleasure.

Ino's fingers moved quickly, her breaths turning more vocal as she strummed her pleasure point. A strange mewl escaped her throat and caught Kiba's attention, distracting him from his own haze.

'_Is she...?'_'

He keened over for a second to see that she was leaning on one hand only – Oh she was definitely doing _that_.

"Fuck!" He was going to lose control if she kept this up. He was barely holding on and he was losing grips with his need.

His thrusts became even more erratic, deeper than before, and she continued to rub her clit in sync with his movements. He could feel it mounting inside, the sounds of his flesh slapping against hers, the smell of them and the feel of her fingers bringing her to release was too much; he was breaking.

Ino tensed suddenly, her head pulled back, and she squealed strangely before she shouted, "Oh, fuck!"

She came hard right then, her whole body freezing and then and exploding in an odd sensation she had never quite experienced before.

Kiba groaned loudly, thrusting into her clenching vaginal walls. The tightness was too much for him, yet she continued to relentlessly milk his cock to release. Ino heard his strained grunts and glimpsed over her shoulder. She grinned with devious satisfaction, her heart pounding in her ears. Kiba was slick with sweat and she found him beautiful again in the darkness of the alley.

Much like that night when he rescued her from certain death.

"Cum, baby," she heaved shakily at him.

His fingers dug deep into her hips, his eyes opening long enough to catch Ino's before his body tensed. A groan ripped from deep within his chest and she felt the pulse inside her from his cock as he came. She watched how his face contorted under the powerful orgasm, and shrieked in surprise as he collapsed onto her in a heap of fatigue, dragging her down the last few inches to the ground.

She couldn't move. He pulled her tightly against his chest and his arms crossed against her breasts. Thoroughly spent, they listened to each other's breaths, unable to speak. Her mind was still buzzing with the euphoria of their union and she didn't really want to interrupt the silence of the night.

Ino could feel his heart beating on her back, idly noticing how their breaths were almost in rapid sync with each other.

Moments went by when, without a word, Kiba lifted her from the ground and gathered their scattered clothing. Between kisses and unspoken promises, he took her to her home and she invited him in once more, this time he didn't refuse her advances.

* * *

Naruto eyed Ino as she waited for his response.

"You're quitting?"

"Retiring," she corrected. He snorted.

"Same thing."

He flicked at a document, sulking. He was about to give her a new mission, but she had refused him, announcing out of the blue that she was retiring from her life as a kunoichi. She shot him a look that would make any man sweat under the collar but he was immune to her. She always threatened to kill him at least once or twice a day in her reports.

She was really going to kill him after this.

Naruto pushed a little package towards her. She frowned, unmoving.

"Take it, it's your retirement package."

"Retirement package? I _just_ told you I was retiring." She reached for the little box. It was light. The bow was a lavender hue, reminding her of Hinata.

"My lovely wife wrapped it for you. She's been waiting for this for a long time."

It was hard to lie.

Hinata had no play in this little scenario, it was just something he said to throw Ino off the trail of pranks, but she was already suspicious by the way she was arching her brow and pressing her lips together. He was _definitely_ losing his touch.

"Now, before you open this," Naruto began to caution – she looked up to her leader and waited for him to continue. He leaned forward onto his elbows, looking at her seriously, his blue eyes unwavering, "would you take a promotion to ANBU as Kiba's partner?"

"His partner?" She was a bit surprised. ANBU was an elite soldier, she would have to disappear and leave behind everything she knew, just as Kiba had done. However, considering all that had transpired, spending most of her time with the lover she had left asleep in her bed that morning was a rather attractive offer.

"Yes, I want you as part of my team. Retiring is a waste. Your skills as a ninja are top-notch, Ino, and you wouldn't have to do the same type of work that you're familiar with."

She paused, thinking about his offer and then nodded, smiling for the first time in a long time at her leader. Naruto grinned. His eyes gleamed oddly for a moment as she continued to open the small package.

"We had a crazy disturbance report last night," he casually explained, watching the ribbon fall from her fingers and the paper wrapping being ripped as she distractedly hummed an "Is that right?" to Naruto.

"Yes," he replied. "The noise had moved on by the time it was investigated, but my team found something quite _intriguing_ at the scene."

She didn't see his smug expression, too focused on her present.

Ino opened the small box and peered in. Her face blanched instantly before complete utter humiliation flooded her delicate features.

"Imagine my surprise when we found these ripped lacy panties and an ANBU issued cargo pants button just laying on the grou–" everything had gone dark after that.

Naruto never managed to remember clearly what happened after that particular sentence that afternoon; Ino had managed to take control of him and stripped him of all his clothing before releasing her mind control jutsu, leaving him alone, confused and with one of the most epic black eyes he'd never forget. Later on that day, he had trouble explaining to Sakura why he had a black eye that couldn't quite heal. When she would pry into more details, his mind would become unclear on the finer details and he'd become strangely ill, nauseated to the point of passing out. After several days of research on the phenomenon, it was later diagnosed that the Hokage was affected by some sort of jutsu that was activated when his memory banks tried to retrieve certain specific information. It played with the inner ear and induced severe vertigo in its victim.

She knew instantly Ino had done something considering the medic had already seen the angry kunoichi that afternoon in question to treat broken knuckles; it certainly didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together when it involved Naruto. He most likely deserved it and she would have to make sure to tell Hinata not to fuss too much over him, his pranks probably got him in the mess in the first place.

Kiba shook his head when Ino explained what had happened, pointing out that any attempt on Naruto's part to recall the alley investigation would make him severely uncomfortable.

"How'd you manage that?" He pulled her back to her bed, she smirked while stripping her clothing before snuggling up to him.

"Something my dad thought me a long time ago," she said smugly.

He raised both his brows in surprise.

"Do I want to know?"

She shook her head. "You might have to arrest me for assaulting the Hokage if I told you," she sighed dramatically.

He grinned. "I wouldn't mind tying you to the bed and punishing you in the name of Konoha."

Ino laughed and playfully pushed him down against the mattress, her eyes darkened for a moment before she whispered a seductive _Now where were we before we got interrupted?_ in his ear.

Needless to say, Naruto accepted his punishment and never brought up the incident again.

* * *

**Oh Mai! It's done, finally.  
I'm having a boy – exciting stuff! One of each for my family**!


End file.
